What's in your Pulk?

[mikesee]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

[fisheater]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

Mike, I’ve read your trip reports and they are really neat, but pulling pulls is the common practice in Norway. The Norwegian tours do not have the vertical relief of your trips. However traveling miles onto the high mountain plateaus of Norway also seem to be worthy adventures, just different than yours.

[mikesee]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

Mike, I’ve read your trip reports and they are really neat, but pulling pulls is the common practice in Norway. The Norwegian tours do not have the vertical relief of your trips. However traveling miles onto the high mountain plateaus of Norway also seem to be worthy adventures, just different than yours.

I've known lots of people that have dragged sleds on long trips.

I've done it a few times myself.

Doing so fundamentally changes the nature of the trip. Which was the point of my first comment.

Didn't mean to imply that trips requiring sleds were any less worthy or ____. Just different.

For me the sled makes the skiing a lot less enjoyable.

I'll remain confused on how/why this forum has become so nordic centric. There's not one thing in the world wrong with nordic skiing. In fact there are so many things *right* with nordic skiing!

But nordic is not telemark. And this is ostensibly a tele forum. Largely in name only, from where I sit.

[fisheater]

I get what you’re saying, however this is the place where I’ve learned about the best skis for my mountain bike trails which is most of my close to home skiing, except those too infrequent times where my local glades fill in enough to be somewhat skiable. Here is where I learned about the best skis to trail ski to my downhill shots.
At this time in my life, I’m not paying $80 to ski my local 300 vertical feet of lift served. I’m not going west like I used to, my ski buddies are too old to ski, they quit. I still like to point them downhill, and I’m still willing to drive 9 hours to West Virginia or the The Upper Peninsula (6 1/2-9) for small mountains and good snow. I drive a couple hours a couple times of year to ski northern Michigan dunes and abandoned ski areas. So where at one time I was a downhill Telemark skier, I’m now a Nordic skier. No apologies, I’m happy and I’m happy I found this place. There are also guys in many countries that are also primarily Nordic skiers here as well. All that being said, this forum is a better place with guys like you as well. Just because you ski bigger mountains, and your focus is more vertically focused doesn’t mean it isn’t Nordic skiing, it’s just more Telemark turn oriented. I think most of the guys here love the turn too.
I for one am still interested in TTS, even though T-4’s are generally the heavy end of my skiing.

[CwmRaider]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

I use the same skis and boots for pulk hauling as telemarking without pulk, so in this case the gear is the same.

That telemarking was designed as a means to an end - turning skis with free heels safely and effectively. It's great that in the last 30 years it has branched into heavy duty DH oriented tele gear and XC touring gear, touching a broader spectrum of users.

I'm careful with my sled giving the precious nature of the cargo, but FWIW i did make a few tele turns yesterday in deep snow. It does work, the problem is that the pulk tends to dip sideways into the newly dug traces and this is probably uncomfortable for Junior here.

But yeah, pulks cope poorly in terrain where telemarking is most useful. On the other hand, heavy backpacks are also penalising. The pulk is also a way to get out with my son, he enjoys it, and I enjoy hauling a pulk more than sitting at home.

[randoskier]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

Mike, I’ve read your trip reports and they are really neat, but pulling pulls is the common practice in Norway. The Norwegian tours do not have the vertical relief of your trips. However traveling miles onto the high mountain plateaus of Norway also seem to be worthy adventures, just different than yours.

I don't ski on the "high plateaus" in Norway you are probably thinking of the Hardangervidda (never been there). I often ski in the Mountains like the Narvik Mountains, Dovre Mountains, or Jutenheim- not a plateau in sight. Every couple of years I run into two groups from France, one from Lyon and the CAF from Grenoble. They always travel with pulks and they can rip telemark turns while attached to a pulk (I can't). Phenomenal skiers, best nordic skiers I have ever seen. I have lived in Estes Park CO (actually Allenspark), in the French Alps, on the east slope of the Cascades and I presently live in the Dolomite foothills. I find the skiing (and weather) more challenging in the Norwegian mountains. https://www.visitjotunheimen.com/

[Skijoring Grace Gale]

Sleeping:
Hilleberg Akto + Snow Stakes
Western Mountaineering Bison -40 down
Exped Insulated 8
Thermarest Foam Pad

Cooking:
MSR XGK Ex and fuel bottles
Windshield
Lightweight cookie sheet to place stove on
Matches
One pot for water only, one pot for soaking food/use as a reheatable bowl.
Spoon
Cup to drink / use to add snow to pot

Misc.
Knife
Extra base layer
Puffy parka, puffy pants
First Aid: bandaids, wrap, ibuprofen, needle and thread
Battery for headlamp,. Garmin, phone, cords
Papertowl (instead of TP)
Small lantern for tent
Steger Mukluks (I can't bear with flimsy camp boots)
MSR Stove Repair Kit
Two small foam sit-pads. SO NICE to put things on in snowy conditions.
Sometimes a shovel
Kahtoola EXO spikes for long icey sections
Asnes half skins for climbing

Dog Related
Dog booties
Dog coat
Skijoring Harness and Bungee

Everyday Use Related:
Two small thermos, plus a plastic nalgene
Headlamp
Garmin Inreach
Clothes, hat, gloves etc
Phone for photos

Skis:
Asnes Breidablikk
Ski Poles
Pulk with Bag, glide wax for pulk
Fiberglass pole and harness
Brake (chain on a rope I manually pull out and put away, that the sled runs over and makes friction for long decents)

Food for length of trip
Fuel for length of trip

[randoskier]

If I have so much gear in the pile that I need to consider dragging it behind me, I'm probably going to revise my route or itinerary instead.

And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum -- I'll add that I've never seen anyone make tele turns while dragging an overloaded sled.

re: "And -- since this is ostensibly a telemark forum" ... It's not like we are using up precious ink or something. Pulk posts in here go back years to the immortal BGregoire... perhaps beyond! I suggest not reading the posts about subjects you do not like- Jeeze sometimes Pinheads can be more intolerant than Jazzers (sorry Miles) or even Vegans!!

[randoskier]

Sleeping:
Hilleberg Akto + Snow Stakes

How do you cook and melt snow in such a small vestibule? Don't you get a lot of condensate with both you and your dog in such a small tent?

What kind of pulk do you use?

[Skijoring Grace Gale]

How do you cook and melt snow in such a small vestibule? Don't you get a lot of condensate with both you and your dog in such a small tent?
What kind of pulk do you use?

I've come to call my Akto a bivy compermise.
In the evening, we get to enjoy warmth and protection while cooking snow and eating, a comfortable bed time routine. While I can sit up in my bag, my neck is craned with the thin sleeping pad and 3" exped inflatable. The inner door of course is all the way open when cooking. The outer door I have the upper zippers up to halfway open to let the steam out. I've never had evening issues with condensation, even after running the stove for an hour.

If I have to get out of the tent, I have to move the stove to the side, as it really only fits in the largest center section for active cooking.

In the morning, good morning! It can be pretty miserable depending on evening temperature and wind, but sometimes it's not bad at all. Each night before laying down, I pray for a light breeze through the night. I always leave the inner door halfway unzipped. The outer upper zip varies depending on conditions.

Hot (28-ish) keep all doors all everything open. Otherwise, water droplets will meet and greet you from the tent warmth.
Warm (15f to 28f) Typically free of condensation, especially if a light breeze.
Moderate (0f to 15f) a thin layer of condensate on all walls and head of sleeping bag
Cold (0f and below) calm and windless: hanging icicles and misery incarnate. Like a hot coffee in the morning? No, here's some ice down your back to wake you up. Wake up method: get up and OUT of the tent ASAP. Curse while putting on puffy pants, run around screeching that it's cold out to generate warmth. Throw all sleeping gear out of the tent onto the snow, pat off ice off of sleeping bag, wipe ice down tent walls, cook water while packing up and eat breakfast with parka and puffy pants.

My -40f bag is so puffy that it almost reaches the tent ceiling at the head (and feet). The ice really hangs down near the head with all the moisture from breathing. I've tried sleeping with just a two small foam pads, for more space, but my sleep comfort suffers. I'd like to try less warm bag, I bought my -40f one out of fear of the cold, but you know how the gear buying story goes...I sleep extremely cold and find it comfortable on -20f nights. A couple weeks ago we did a couple -30 and -38f nights and still stay warm, just having to kick feet once in awhile, but mornings are rough to say the least. I'm tempted to bring my helsport svalbard 3 tent when I know it's going to be cold, but just can't just the extreme weight. I think putting on my frozen ski boots still is the most miserable thing even more than getting out of bed.

Oh, the dog? Yes. We have a relationship. We barely tolerate each other in the tent, we are incessantly in each other's way. If I shift or roll over, she also must adjust.